Coding Write-In Responses in a Census Select Topics in International Censuses1 Released June 2020 INTRODUCTION There are both advantages and disadvantages associated with closed- and open-ended questions. Typically, closed- All census instruments include questions that require ended questions with a fixed list of responses are easier respondents to provide write-in answers. Write-in fields to answer and analyze—thus lowering the burden for both allow respondents to answer in free text format rather respondents and NSOs during data collection, processing, than with predetermined response categories. Write-in and analysis. However, preestablished response categories responses empower respondents by allowing them to often miss the wide array of answers that respondents answer questions freely, unconstrained by preset answer would have produced had the question been asked in an categories. However, the inclusion of write-in fields in a open format. Open-ended or write-in responses allow questionnaire poses particular challenges for National respondents to express themselves in their own words Statistical Offices (NSOs) during data collection and based on their full knowledge and understanding. This processing. comes at a price, though, since answers to open-ended This Select Topics in International Censuses (STIC) questions are harder to process and analyze for NSOs. technical note provides NSOs with information on Open-ended questions may also represent a significant internationally recognized standards on automated coding source of bias, because even a properly designed of write-in answers in a census. question may be understood in different ways by different respondents. QUESTION FORMATS Typically, researchers at NSOs use an open-ended Closed-ended questions are the most common type of question when the constraints of the close-ended items in census questionnaires. These questions include question outweigh the inconveniences of the open-ended a list of fixed-choice response alternatives and usually question. In other instances, questions must be asked in instruct respondents to select one or more of them. In an open format, as explained below. contrast, open-ended questions have no preexisting response categories and allow respondents to answer questions freely, in their own words. In paper census questionnaires designed to be scanned, open answers are typically written in “write-in” fields, whose width determines the maximum number of characters allowed in the answer. 1 This technical note is part of a series on Select Topics in International Censuses, exploring matters of interest to the international statistical commu- nity. The U.S. Census Bureau helps countries improve their national statistical systems by engaging in capacity building to enhance statistical competencies in sustainable ways. U.S. Department of Commerce United States Agency for International Development United Nations Population Fund U.S. CENSUS BUREAU www.usaid.gov www.unfpa.org census.gov Table 1. Economic Activity, Occupation, and Industry: Botswana Population and Housing Census 2011 ALL PERSONS 12 YEARS AND OVER ECONOMIC ACTIVITY OCCUPATION INDUSTRY What has ... been Did ... do any type Since ... was not What was ... What type of work What was the main doing mainly since of work for pay, working, what did working as during did ... do in the product, service Independence Day profit or home he/she do? the past 7 days? past 7 days? or activity of ... 2010? use for at least 1 place of work? hour in the past 7 1 Actively seeking 1 Employee - paid To be precise, what Seasonal work days? work cash were main tasks (Probe as 01 Paid 02 Unpaid 2 House work 2 Employee - Paid and duties? necessary, use two or more 1 Yes 3 Student in kind Non-seasonal work (Probe as words to describe (GO TO A22) 3 Self-employed 4 Retired necessary, use the Industry) 03 Paid 04 unpaid (no employees) 2 No 5 Sick two or more 4 Self-employed words to describe Other [If no, has ... Other (specify) GO TO A25 for (with employees) the occupation) 05 Job Seeker worked at own Female, else GO TO next 06 House work lands/cattle?] [If female GO TO 5 Unpaid family person 07 Student A25 helper If male GO TO next 08 Retired 6 Working at own person] lands/cattlepost 09 Sick Other (specify) A19(2) A20 A21 A22 A23(3) A24(4) Source: Statistics Botswana, 2011. Open-Ended and Mixed-Format Questions Table 1 provides an example of a census’ Employment section (extracted from the 2011 Botswana Census). All census questionnaires have at least a one write-in Notice that the Economic Activity questions are presented question—name and surname of the residents of a in a closed format, while the Occupation and Industry household. Besides that, NSOs almost always allow questions are asked in an open one. write-in answers for some of their questions. For example, the responses to questions on industry and occupation Figure 1 presents an example of a question from the U.S. are often open-ended. It is difficult to code or list the 2020 Census where four checkboxes and a dedicated hundreds of occupations contained in an industry and occupation code list—especially in the case of paper questionnaires. Thus, NSOs often allow write-in responses when they want to capture more detail than what would be practical to display in a paper or digital questionnaire. 2 U.S. Census Bureau §,+!6¤ Person 1 5. Please provide information for each person living here. If 9. What is Person 1’s race? there is someone living here who pays the rent or owns this Mark IJK one or more boxes AND print origins. residence, start by listing him or her as Person 1. If the owner or the person who pays the rent does not live here, White – Print, for example, German, Irish, English, Italian, start by listing any adult living here as Person 1. Lebanese, Egyptian, etc. C What is Person 1’s name? Print name below. First Name MI Black or African Am. – Print, for example, African American, Jamaican, Haitian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, Somali, etc. C Last Name(s) American Indian or Alaska Native – Print name of enrolled or principal tribe(s), for example, Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe, Mayan, Aztec, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional KIJ 6. What is Person 1’s sex? Mark ONE box. Government, Nome Eskimo Community, etc. C Male Female Chinese Vietnamese Native Hawaiian 7. What is Person 1’s age and what is Person 1’s date of birth? For babies less than 1 year old, do not write the age in Filipino Korean Samoan months. Write 0 as the age. Print numbers in boxes. Asian Indian Japanese Chamorro Age on April 1, 2020 Month Day Year of birth Other Asian – Other Pacific Islander – Print, for example, Print, for example, The “Name”Pakistani, Cambodian, Write-In Fields Tongan, Fijian, years Hmong, etc. C Marshallese, etc. C Figure 1. The question on “name” is unique in that it can only be asked in an open-ended format, and is not intended as a Mixed-Format Question: U.S. 2020 Census ➜ NOTE: Please answer BOTH Question 8 about Hispanic means of retrieving relevant information for the census Householdorigin and Question Form 9 about race. For this census, Hispanic or survey.Some otherIt is racemainly – Print used race oras origin. an identifier.C Names are origins are not races. often used to identify respondents within a household 8. Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin? during data collection, and for matching purposes in No, not of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin Post-Enumeration Surveys (PES). Names are also used for Yes, Mexican, Mexican Am., Chicano indexing purposes in retrieval tools for census archives (see STIC on Census Data Archiving and Preservation). Yes, Puerto Rican Yes, Cuban Another particularity of “name” write-in responses in a census is that there is no need to code them. However, Yes, another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin – Print, for example, Salvadoran, Dominican, Colombian, Guatemalan, in order to properly use names as identifiers, spelling Spaniard, Ecuadorian, etc. C variations produced during data collection or capture should be addressed because it is often used for matching during the PES. For example, interviewers may miss the correct spelling of a name during personal or Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census. phone interviews. This is commonly found in names with alternative spellings or in phonetically similar names that do not share the same spelling. For example, Sean, Shaun, write-in field were combined to collect detailed Shawn, and Shon are different spellings of the same name; information on Hispanic or Latino origin. The first and the last names Meier, Meyer, Maier, Mayer, Mair, and checkbox is for respondents who are “Not of Hispanic, Mayr are all pronounced in a similar way. Latino, or Spanish origin.” The next three checkboxes are ➜ If more people were counted in Question 1 on for the largest Hispanic origin groups—”Mexican,” “Puerto Oncethe front census page, records continue have with been Person made 2machine on the readable, Rican,” and “Cuban.” The final checkbox of “Another namesnext page. should be indexed to facilitate linking and retrieval 11100021of personal records. Box 1 provides an introduction to Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin” is accompanied by 2 a set of detailed examples and a dedicated write-in the Soundex system, one of the oldest and most popular response area to collect data for all other groups in phonetic indexing systems. the Hispanic or Latino population. The combination of detailed checkboxes and a write-in area enables all respondents to report their Hispanic origin. This design represents a compromise between closed-ended and open-ended questions in that it is an open-ended question within a closed-ended format. NSOs sometimes test different question formats until they find the one that best helps them collect the quality data they want, on time, and without straining their budgets.